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MEA members from all corners of Michigan joined with their union brothers and sisters in Labor Day festivities last week to celebrate the invaluable contributions that union members have made to American society.

Teachers and education support professionals were cheered by citizens who attended Labor Day across the state. Such displays of public support for MEA members serve as a strong reminder that school employees are well-respected by the public — despite what some right-wing politicians might think.

It’s an unconscionable stain on our nation’s history: Fewer than 40 years ago, many states had laws that actually forbid special needs students from attending public schools, including students who were deaf, blind or had developmental disabilities.

With 150,000 members working together to improve educational outcomes for their students and working conditions for school employees, MEA is far and away Michigan’s largest and leading education organization.

MEA members Chad Gurzick (left) and Rob Roberts (right) risked their lives to save a stranger who fell on subway tracks in Atlanta last week.

Recent events like the Sandy Hook shootings and the Oklahoma tornado have shown that public school employees are committed to making a difference in the lives of others — even if it means putting their own lives at risk.

Grosse Pointe North High School science teacher Gary Abud Jr. has been named the 2013-14 Michigan Teacher of the Year by the state Department of Education.

Abud, who received the 2012 Science Teacher of Promise award from the Michigan Science Teachers Association, is a proponent of project-based learning, combining service experiences, digital learning and social media to provide his students with a broad palette of learning experiences.

“It has been my philosophy that all students can learn and achieve in the classroom,” Abud said. “Finding the right combination of strategies to match various learning styles is essential.”

Grosse Pointe Public Schools Superintendent Thomas Harwood said Abud is “a teacher amongst teachers; an innovator of instruction, a supportive guide of knowledge, and a creator of dreams for students who wish to further explore their understanding of science.”

“Gary displays every day in his classroom what great teachers in Michigan do — lead by example and help every student find the ways to learn,” state Superintendent Mike Flanagan said. “He sets a high standard not only for himself, but for his students and fellow educators.”

“He has followed his passion to continue learning and share what he learns with others,” Flanagan said. “I cannot think of a greater gift a person can give to Michigan’s next generations.”